More than 35 years have passed
since British-American information
scientist, Frederick Wilfrid, first
envisioned a ‘paperless office’ in
1978.
Today, the reality is that the physical
page continues to be a central part of daily
office life. According to a new, independent
survey of over 3,600 European employees
commissioned by Epson Europe, 64%
indicated they’d prefer to read reports
and brochures on printed paper, citing
the ability to ‘share/handout’ (53%),
‘read’ (44%) and ‘edit/annotate’ (41%)
as key factors. In addition, 62% believed
that errors were more likely when editing
an electronic document as opposed to a
printout. Overall, an overwhelming majority
(83%) felt a ‘paperless office is unrealistic’.
In the UK, the printed page remains
a crucial feature of office life, with 86%
claiming that a ban on printing would
“limit their productivity”. Rob Clark, Senior
Vice President of Epson Europe, states “it
is clear from our research that – despite
digital advances – people still like to work
with paper, preferring print rather than
working on-screen for certain tasks”.
Clark continues: “The reality is
organisations need printing, not only to
help employees work more effectively but
reap wider productivity. People collaborate
effectively for many tasks digitally; for
many others, a printed page is key, or an
interactive whiteboard, an augmented
reality headset or an in-person huddle.
Businesses need to provide their employees
with the options to use the best technology
and processes for each task in each
circumstance, from the humble printed
page to the more sophisticated digital
collaboration tools.”
Renowned global futurist, Jack
Uldrich, adds ‘the paperless office hasn’t
materialized for the same reason that
microwave ovens didn’t replace all
traditional ovens. Every technology has
unique benefits, and paper is no different;
it’s arguably the greatest instrument
ever invented for conveying, sharing
and disseminating information. Recent
scientific studies have demonstrated that
people understand and retain information
present on paper at a far higher level than
information presented electronically”,
which may explain why 61% of
respondents agreed that “there is more
chance of making errors when editing
an electronic document than editing a
print-out”.
Whilst paper remains important, the
research demonstrates how inefficient
printing systems are limiting productivity.
European office workers spend nearly 19
hours every year walking to and from their
printer, marching over 110 kilometres
in the process! In the UK, the average
distance to a printer is 13 metres, second
only to Germany in the European ‘printer
Olympics’!
To increase employee productivity and
efficiency, Clark recommends a distributed
printer fleet, with units being placed closer
to end users or workgroups.
“A distributed printer fleet brings
multiple advantages to businesses,
reducing the average of 5 minutes spent
walking to centralised printers every day”,
Clark suggests. He adds that “a distributed
printer fleet minimises the impact of printer
downtime, eases the pressure on corporate
networks and reduces delays through local
control of print jobs and queues”.
Technology is changing the way people
work, something that Clark acknowledges.
“At Epson, we see this with our wearable
and projector-based technologies. But
when it comes to reading, editing and
sharing documents like reports, emails and
attachments, office workers, from baby
boomers to millennials, still prefer the
tangible printed version,” he concludes.
Paperless office
fails to materialise
in the UK:
86% of British employees see the
physical page as crucial
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The Replaceable Ink Pack System has been developed to
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to currently stand within the region of
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EPSON STATE OF PRINTING
IN THE WORKPLACE STUDY
Even in today’s digitally powered world, the printer still remains vital for business success
and productivity by helping employees to work effectively. In a major research project,
Epson Europe questioned 3,639 IT decision makers and employees across France,
Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK to assess how they use printers in today’s workplace.
PRINTING IS VITAL TO
EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY:
of productivity or a full day would
be lost each week if printers were
banned, according to employee
estimates. Not being able to print
‘reports or brochures’ would have
the most impact.
27%
EUROPEANS SAID...
of employees claim that printers are vital in
terms of helping them to work effectively
of employees claim a ban on printing
would impact their productivity, with
49% claiming
it would do so
‘significantly.’
77
%
86
%
PRINTERS WILL BE A KEY
TECHNOLOGY IN TOMORROW’S
WORKPLACE:
of employees agree that ‘a
paperless office concept is
not realistic.’
83%
of employees agree ‘printers should be
regularly upgraded in order to leverage
innovation on connectivity, cost efficiencies
and quality.’
of employees agree that their organisation
‘should continue to invest in printing
technology.’
86
%
85
%
EUROPEANS SAID...
PRINTER USAGE IN THE WORKPLACE REMAINS HIGH:
of employees use printers
at least daily and those
who use printers print on
average
21 items.
88%
of employees state that the ability to
print documents is important in relation
to their role within the organisation.
of employees believe ‘there is more
chance of making errors editing an
electronic document than a editing a
print out.’
93
%
61
%
EUROPEANS SAID...
The top 3 most printed items:
Reports and
brochures
16%
Email
attachments
15%
Emails
14%
New research shows the paperless office has yet to materialise,
but inefficient printing systems are hurting productivity
